Australia women's national softball team
Australia women's national softball team | |
---|---|
Information | |
Country | USA Softball International Cup |
Appearances | 8 (First in 2005) |
Best result | 2nd (2 times, most recent in 2012) |
Olympic Games | |
Appearances | 5 (First in 1996) |
Best result | 2nd (1 time, in 2004) |
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Softball at the Summer Olympics | ||
Representing Australia | ||
Olympic Games | ||
2004 Athens | Team | |
1996 Atlanta | Team | |
2000 Sydney | Team | |
2008 Beijing | Team | |
World Championship
| ||
1965 Melbourne | ||
1998 Fujinomiya |
||
1974 Stratford | ||
1982 Taipei | ||
2006 Beijing |
||
2014 Haarlem | ||
World Cup of Softball
| ||
2009 Oklahoma City | ||
2012 Oklahoma City | ||
2005 Oklahoma City | ||
2013 Oklahoma City |
The Australia women's national softball team, also known as the Aussie Spirit,
Funding
The national team has not secured as much funding as male dominated sports in Australia despite having performed better than some and having won major international competitions.[3] The removal of softball from the Olympic programme resulted in the national team getting less funding.[4]
History
Australian women competed in their first international competition in 1949 when they played a series against New Zealand in St Kilda at the
Women's World Championship
Australia's women have won the World Championships.
Olympics
At the highest level they are moving away from the ideals of Olympicism. We've been a casualty of that. I'm not against golf or any other sport being at the Olympics. I think there should be a place for everyone. I just thought we'd been loyal to the Olympic movement and they should have been loyal to us.
Melanie Roche, four time Olympic medalist in softball[15]
Australia competed at all five Olympic Games where the sport was played. At them, they won three bronze medals and a silver.[15]
1996 Olympic Team
Going into the 1996 Summer Olympics, Australia were considered one of the favourites to possibly win gold.[16] The Australians beat the Americans at the 1996 Olympics.[15] Australia finished with a bronze medal.[17]
2000 Olympic Team
The 2000 Games were played in Sydney. They had to beat the Americans to qualify for the gold medal, but lost 1–0 in a shut out.[18] The Australians beat the Americans during the early part of the competition during pool play.[9][page needed]
2004 Olympic Team
Australia won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.[19][20][21]
2008 Olympic Team
Australia earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Games.[22]
2020 Olympic Team
Australia achieved a fifth place finish at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. [23]
Other competitions
Majorie Nelson was a Victorian softball player. She was the first softball player to represent any country at four World Series of Softball. She was the Australian captain in 1974 and 1978 and the World Series.[24]
Australia earned a bronze medal at the 2005 World Cup.
Australia earned a gold medal at the 2005 Canada Cup.[25] They earned a silver in 2008.[20] They earned a bronze in 2011.[28] Australia earned a silver medal at the 2005 Pacific Rim tournament.[25]
2020 Olympic roster
The roster was released on 1 July 2021.[29]
Softball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Australia roster | ||||
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Players | Coaches | |||
Pitchers
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Catchers Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
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Test series
In 1962, Australia played a test series against New Zealand in New Zealand. Australia won two out of three games in the test.[31]
In March 2012, the team played a test series against the Japan women's national softball team in Canberra.[32]
Indigenous representation
Stacey Porter was the team's first aboriginal teammate to represent Australia in softball the Olympics.[33] Other aboriginal members of the national team include Vanessa Stokes,[33] Tarni Stepto, Mollie Chilcott, Terry Ramadge and Janice Blackman.
References
- ^ "The WBSC Women's World Ranking". WBSC. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ a b "404 page not found - Softball Australia". www.softball.org.au. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
{{cite web}}
: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ ISBN 0207169713.
- ^ "Canberra Times: Diamonds could lose chance to sparkle". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia: Financial Times Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0207169713.
- ^ OCLC 71140.
- ^ OCLC 58052551.
- OCLC 5125714.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-313-38549-0. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-7-302-08926-1. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- OCLC 223005022.
- OCLC 223005022.
- ISBN 978-0-07-139053-8. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ "Australian Open Women's Squad 2012". Australia: Softball Australia. 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ a b c Brigid O'Connell and Rosie Squires (23 August 2009). "Softball cops rough deal as Olympics plumps for inclusion of golf". Herald Sun. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-8225-7603-7. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- OCLC 223005022.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-0789-9. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ Hand, Guy (24 August 2004). "AAP News: Soft: Silver softballers find US in a league of its own". AAP News. Australia: Financial Times Information Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. A200408243A-37B6-AIW. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ a b "She's got silver, next goal is gold". Blacktown Advocate. Sydney, Australia. 30 July 2008. p. 3. BAG_T-20080730-1-003-036677. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ "AIS Softball – Stacey Porter". Bruce, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Institute of Sport. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ^ "Japan stuns US to win softball gold in Beijing Olympics". Herald Sun. Agence France-Presse. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ "TOKYO 2020 BASEBALL/SOFTBALL SOFTBALL RESULTS". Olympics.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- OCLC 38340671.
- ^ a b c Purdon, Fiona (2 December 2005). "Kym batty about Maroons". The Courier Mail. Brisbane, Australia. p. 12. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ Latzke, Jeff (21 July 2009). "Aussie softballers go down swinging". Herald Sun. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ "BRIEFS". The Sunday Age. Melbourne, Australia. 24 July 2011. p. 18. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ "Sport Achievement Awards". Bruce, Australia Capital Territory: Australian Institute of Sport. 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ^ "Softballers Show Aussie Spirit With Selection for Return to Olympic Arena". softball.org.au. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "Team Roster Australia" (PDF). olympics.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- OCLC 223005022.
- ^ Rees, Courtney. "Swapping London games for Canberra". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia. p. 20.
- ^ a b Rees, Courtney (24 March 2012). "Chasing indigenous talent". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia. p. Sports, 14.